Enhanced Services for the Hard-to-Employ Demonstration and Evaluation Project: Kansas and Missouri, Enhanced Early Head Start

The Enhanced Services for the Hard-to-Employ (HtE) Demonstration and Evaluation Project was a 10-year study (taken on by the MDRC) that evaluated innovative strategies aimed at improving employment and other outcomes for groups who faced serious barriers to employment. The Enhanced Services for the Hard-to-Employ is the first comprehensive attempt to understand the diverse low-income population and to test interventions aimed at the most common barriers that are encountered in this population's employment. The HtE demonstration was designed to evaluate a variety of innovative ways to boost employment, reduce welfare receipt, and promote well-being in low-income populations. This study evaluated the effectiveness of the Enhanced Early Head Start (EHS) program on addressing the developmental needs of young children living in poverty by offering enhanced services aimed at proactively addressing the employment and educational needs of their parents. This program included the addition of on-site self-sufficiency specialists to work with program staff and families on topics such as, formalized employment, self-sufficiency services and community partnerships with local employment-focused and educational agencies. The Early Head Start full research sample consists of 610 individuals randomly assigned between August 2004 and December 2006 (305 members in the program group and 305 in the control group). The research team followed the two groups for over three years, using surveys and administrative data. All 610 sample members completed a baseline survey at random assignment, providing basic demographic information, employment and child care history prior to the study. Two follow-up surveys were collected at the 18-month and 42-month mark. At 42-months, respondents who responded to the 18-month survey were asked about child care activities since their earlier survey interview date, while respondents who responded only to the 42-month survey were asked about child care activities since random assignment. Data were collected on receipt of EHS services and assistance programs, TANF history, type and amount of child care used, child immunization records, parenting, child behavior, child social-emotional skills, as well as child reading and math skills. Demographic information includes age, race, marital status, education, source of income, employment status, and public assistance information.